Primary pupils get healthy meals for free in Scottish trial

0 Comments | AFP, October, 2007

LONDON (AFP) — Primary pupils in three areas of Scotland tucked into healthy school lunches given out for free Monday under a six-month government-funded pilot scheme, officials said.

The five million pound scheme, rolled out this week in schools in East Ayrshire, West Dunbartonshire and Glasgow - and to be extended to Fife and the Borders next week - is aimed at encouraging healthy eating habits among pupils and combating child obesity caused by too many poor quality lunches.

Almost 8,500 additional school lunches are expected to be given out in Glasgow alone under the experiment, which follows the poor take up of new, healthier school meals introduced after the healthy dinners campaign led in 2005 by TV cook Jamie Oliver.

"It’s all about encouraging the...